Chris Webber had a key three-point play in the final minute of
overtime and Chris Whitney added a pair of free throws as the
Washington Wizards squandered an 18-point lead before holding on
for a 102-100 victory over the New Jersey Nets.

The win moved Washington into a tie with Orlando for the final
Eastern Conference playoff spot, one-half game ahead of New
Jersey, which has dropped 10 of its last 12 games.

After two free throws by Keith Van Horn gave the Nets a 98-96
lead with 32 seconds remaining in overtime, Webber drove on Rony
Seikaly and was fouled as he laid in a shot off the glass.
Webber made the free throw, giving Washington a one-point lead
with 28 seconds to go.

"When coach called the play, I needed to get open and I was
looking to drive to the basket because I knew that the defesne
was going to be moving," Webber said.

On the ensuing possession, Van Horn took a pass from Kerry
Kittles but was called for traveling. Whitney, a 91 percent
free-throw shooter, was fouled by Kittles and made both shots
for his only points of the game as the Wizards gained a 101-98
lead.

"I have to give credit to the little guy," Wizards coach Bernie
Bickerstaff said. "We put him in there to shoot free throws and
he wanted the basketball. He got free and he went to the line
and knocked both of them down."

After Kittles hit two free throws to draw New Jersey within one,
Rod Strickland nailed one of two free throws to cap the scoring.
Van Horn has a chance to give the Nets the win, but fired an
airball from the left side at the buzzer.

"I got hit on the last shot attempt. I got elbowed in the head,"
Van Horn said. "It is very disappointing, especially with what
this game meant. This game was a dogfight. If we won, we would
have had a slight cushion, but now every game is a must win. I
have confidence we will make the playoffs."

Webber finished with 25 points to lead four Washington players
in double figures. Calbert Cheaney added 21, Juwan Howard had
15 and 14 rebounds before fouling out in overtime and Strickland
chipped in 19 points and six assists.

"The one thing I have been consistent in saying about the
Eastern Conference, is that this race for the playoffs could go
down to the wire," Bickerstaff said. "There was a lot of stress
on both sides. This was a playoff atmosphere game and it was a
great basketball game at that."

"This one was a tough one to swallow, especially with the way it
ended. But I guess over a period of time, they balance out," New
Jersey coach John Calipari said. "This team does not give up.
They fight and they claw and they put themselves in a position
to win, They have done it before. But it's playoff time and we
can not put ourselves in that position."

A pair of free throws by Van Horn tied the score, 14-14, with
4:50 left in the first quarter. But Ben Wallace followed with a
dunk, Howard added a free throw and Webber drained his only
three-pointer of the game as the Wizards took a six-point lead
with 3:49 left in the quarter.

A free throw by Sam Cassell and a driving layup by Kittles cut
the deficit to three, but that was as close as the Nets would
get in the first half.

The Nets trailed 53-44 with 57 seconds remanining in the half.
But Tracy Murray hit a three-pointer and added a 19-footer to
give the Wizards a 58-44 lead at halftime.

Washington hit 52 percent from the floor in the first half
(25-of-48) while limiting New Jersey to just 38 percent
(15-of-40).

A layup by Howard with 9:08 left in the third quarter gave
Washington its largest lead, 64-46. But Kittles' three-pointer
with 3:44 remaining capped a 20-5 run that drew the Nets within
69-66. Kittles and Williams each scored eight points during the
run.

The Nets trailed 77-71 after three quarters, but Sherman Douglas
hit a jumper, Williams added a tip-in and Douglas followed with
another jumper, tying the score with 9:18 to play in regulation.

A layup by Webber gave the Wizards an 89-86 lead with 2:11
remaining. But he failed to extend the lead when he missed two
free throws with 1:46 left.

After Van Horn hit a driving layup to make it a one-point game,
Williams fouled out and Howard knocked down 1-of-2 free throws.
Howard then fouled Kittles and he hit both shots from the line
to forge a 90-90 tie with 9.3 seconds left in regulation.